


Poised to Strike

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Death Threats, Episode: s01e12 Partners, F/M, Flashbacks in Present Day, Implied Relationships, Imprisonment, Interrogation, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 06:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2099796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I need to know the Autobots’ attack coordinates,” Airachnid concluded.<br/>Suppressing his coughing fit, Tailgate croaked, “You expect me to know? And expect me to give them to <em>you<em>?”</em></em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Poised to Strike

Tailgate’s systems rebooted suddenly, making him startle. That sudden movement set him off; he thrashed violently against the webs draped over him, fueled only by one word:

 _Arcee_. 

Where was she? What had Airachnid done to her? Was she—?

No, she couldn’t be. But if she was...

Tailgate jerked his head up when he heard the clinking of long metal legs. As Airachnid emerged from the shadows, Tailgate tried to shout at her, but he only ended up choking on the webbing that the spider-Bot had shoved into his mouth. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Airachnid asked mockingly. “You’ll have to speak up, Tailgate.”

Loathing the sound of his name on Airachnid’s lips, Tailgate flailed again, straining toward her, willing his fists to break free from the webs and smash into her face.

Finally acknowledging that his struggles were useless, Tailgate calmed, slumping back against the cold wall behind him and glowering hatefully at his captor. Airachnid returned the look with a polite smile. 

“There’s something I need to know...” she informed him as she approached and lowered herself down in front of him. Tailgate fruitlessly tried to recoil, banging his head against the wall as Airachnid sidled her left fingers over his face and wrapped the right around his neck. 

Suddenly Airachnid wrenched his neck forward and tipped his head back, driving her fingers into his throat. When she removed them, they were sticky with the webbing from which she’d freed him. Tailgate gasped, his vents wheezing stale air.

“I need to know the Autobots’ attack coordinates,” Airachnid concluded, shaking off the webbing.

Suppressing the rest of his coughing fit, Tailgate croaked, “You expect me to know? And expect me to give them to _you_?”

Airachnid laughed condescendingly. “Do you think you’d still be alive if I didn’t?”

“Yeah, well, you can go to the—”

“Ah-ah-ah.” Airachnid shushed him. “Let’s try that again. Give me the coordinates or your partner dies.”

Tailgate’s pale green optics narrowed as he grinned. “You just told me what _I_ needed to know: Arcee’s alive.” 

Hissing, Airachnid lunged at him. Before Tailgate knew what was happening, his processor was overloading with urgent distress messages from his sensory nodes. He was screaming as loud as his vocalizer would allow, trying to escape the spider-Bot’s attacks but finding nowhere to go with his pain-blind eyes.

At last it ceased and Tailgate slumped against the wall, darkness smearing away his awareness. The next thing he felt was the ground scraping his knees—or was it the other way around? He groaned quietly, praying that the arms dragging him belonged to an Autobot rescue party.

No. There was electricity, pulling his cuffed wrists into the air. He kicked his feet feebly, searching for solid ground and finding none. 

“What have you done to him?!” a voice demanded, stirring Tailgate a little. Arcee...He tried to speak her name but all that came out was another moan of agony.

The conversation between Airachnid and Arcee was brief as far as Tailgate was able to tell in his dazed state. Then Arcee cried out.

“No. Please!”

What was that tricursed spawn of Unicron doing to Cee?! Tailgate strained to lift his head but couldn’t find the strength. He heard the cold _shing_ of sharp metal poised to strike and sobbed silently. Arcee was about to be killed and he was too weak to save her! After all she had offered him, he couldn’t step up for her when it counted most!

He couldn’t let her die! He loved—

“ _Tailgate!_ ”

 


End file.
